Volkswagen Emission Scandal
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Osgoode Hall Law School of York University Osgoode Digital Commons Obiter Dicta Alumni & Law School Publications 10-13-2015 Volume 89, Issue 4 (2015) Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/obiter_dicta Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation "Volume 89, Issue 4 (2015)" (2015). Obiter Dicta. 18. http://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/obiter_dicta/18 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Alumni & Law School Publications at Osgoode Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Obiter Dicta by an authorized administrator of Osgoode Digital Commons. Volume 88 | issue 1 | obiter-dicta.ca The Definitive Source for Osgoode News since 1928 Tuesday, October 13, 2015 VOLKSWAGEN EMISSION SCANDAL ê Can public pressure put the brakes on regulation evasion? Photo credit: Financial Post shannon corregan › staff writer n what’s shaping up to be the biggest auto clever. It could be argued that the system wasn’t industry shake-up of the decade, Volkswagen’s breaking any regulations, just evading them. (VW) emissions scandal has—by this point — Initially, the EPA indicated that the “defeat device” obliterated over 30 billion USD of the company’s had been installed in 482,000 of the cars that VW had In this Issue... Ishares, and forced CEO Martin Winterkorn to resign. sold in the US, but it wasn’t long before the company In late September, the US Environmental admitted that eleven million of their diesel cars across Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that VW cars being the globe had similar software installed. To put that news sold in the US were rigged with stealth software that number in perspective, eleven million cars amounts Syrian War . 3 allowed the cars to “cheat” emissions tests. In what to approximately twenty-five percent of VW’s vehi- opinion has been dubbed a “defeat device,” the software sig- cles worldwide. Sustainable Development Goals . 9 nals to the car when its emissions are about to be Maybe more than any other automaker, German- tested; upon receiving the signal, the car shifts gears, based Volkswagen has a reputation for reliability, arts & culture so to speak, and begins to run cleaner than it would trustworthiness, and—increasingly—environmental Netflix Guide . 10 during ordinary use. This allows the cars to pass responsibility. This is perhaps why the initial backlash sports emissions tests while emitting more pollution than against VW has been immediate and unequivocal. NHL Free Agents . 14 the legal limit. In some cases, VW cars were revealed to be emitting forty times the allowable amount. As legal loopholes go, the “defeat device” is quite » see volkswagen, page 15 2 obiter Dicta NEWS CIBC Run for the Cure 2015 Osgoode Women’s Network raises $3,760 WN Ran for the Cure and raised $3,760! The OWN Executive would like to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who par- ticipated in some way, shape or form with Othis year’s CIBC Run for the Cure 2015. As a stu- dent club at Osgoode, we were able to raise $3,760, which surpasses last year’s fundraising efforts by over $1,000! $317 was raised from the jars we passed around to the first year classes alone! Across Canada, the Run for the Cure raised an estimated $21.5 mil- lion, bringing us that much closer to finding a cure. So, once again, thank you to everyone who par- ticipated! Our next big community initiative will be our clothing drive during the week of October 26th. During the clothing drive, we will be collect- ing gently-used professional clothing for the orga- nization, Dress for Success. We have partnered with Goodmans LLP who is helping to coordinate the event and recruit other firms. So far, a number of firms, have generously agreed to make donations, includ- ing: Goodmans, Fasken Martineau, Davies, BLG, Bennett Jones, Stikeman Elliot and Cassels Brock. We hope that the Osgoode staff, faculty and student body will also help out as well by bringing in their previ- ously owned professional attire during the week of October 26th! We will have a clothing donation box situated outside of the admissions office (across from the library doors) during that week. Thank you again for helping us in our drive towards maintaining and increasing our commit- ment to community initiatives. With gratitude, Your 2015-2016 OWN Executive u ê Photo credit: Osgoode Women’s Network editorial board layout editor | Karen Wang TheObiter Dicta is published biweekly editor-in-chief | Sam Michaels website editor | Asad Akhtar during the school year, and is printed by managing editor | Erin Garbett Weller Publishing Co. Ltd. creative director | Heather Pringle staff writers a. Osgoode Hall Law School, 0014g Evan Ivkovic, Shannon Corregan, Anthony Obiter Dicta is the official student newspaper York University editorial staff Choi, Michael Motala, Kareem Webster of Osgoode Hall Law School. The opinions 4700 Keele Street business managers | Alvin Qian, expressed in the articles contained herein are Vincent Neil Ho Toronto, on m3j 1p3 contributors not necessarily those of the Obiter staff. The communications manager | Carla Marti e. [email protected] Update list of contributors Obiter reserves the right to refuse any submis- copy editor | Melissa Belmonte, w. obiter-dicta.ca sion that is judged to be libelous or defamatory, Shannon Corregan t. @obiterdictaoz Submissions for the October 26 issue are contains personal attacks, or is discriminatory news editor | Simmy Sahdra due at 5pm on October 17, and should be on the basis of sex, race, religion, or sexual ori- opinions editor | Nadia Aboufariss “A lawyer is a gentleman who rescues your submitted to: [email protected] entation. Submissions may be edited for length arts & culture editor | Kathleen Killin estate from your enemies and keeps it for him- and/or content. self.” lord brougham sports editor | Kenneth Lam NEWS Monday, October 13, 2015 3 Russia Further Complicates War in Syria simmy sahdra › news eDitor Times, “If these raids continue this way, Russia will priority, and instead protection of political alliances kill a larger number of civilians than Bashar did in reigns supreme. The Russian intervention in the s many people have already heard, four years.” The reality is that Russia’s intervention Syrian war not only illustrates this point, but also Russia has joined the war in Syria, where arises out of selfish reasoning, and the Syrian civil- serves to demonstrate that the instability within Russian warplanes have carried out air- ians are secondary thoughts, at best, to the existent Syria will most likely continue. u strikes on opponents of President Bashar political battles. al-Assad.A This recent addition to the four year civil The US are all but impressed with this new addi- war in Syria has added new elements, which con- tion to the war in Syria. US Defence Secretary tinue to further the suffering for many civilians. Ashton Carter said Russia was “pouring gasoline on Russia claimed that they are targeting the a fire.” He went on to warn that Russia “risks esca- Islamic State (IS) and “other terrorists” when on 30 lating the civil war in Syria—and with it, the very September, Russia’s parliament approved a request extremism and instability that Moscow claims to by President Vladimir Putin to launch airstrikes in be concerned about.” The US does not seem to be Syria. This is the country’s first intervention in the accepting of the Russian argument indicating their Middle East in decades, which leads one to ponder only intent is to fight terrorism, which is interesting what their real intention behind their involvement given the US not too long ago was utilizing the same in Syria is. arguments for Presidents their own Middle Putin and Assad “The political dimensions East interventions. have been long- However, the standing political behind Russia’s intervention most important ê (above) A civil defence member walks on the rubble allies, and most shine through...” aspect of this sit- of a damaged building next to a site hit by what activ- are aware of this uation is the high ists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian relationship; however, Mr. Putin said Russia was human costs—more than 250,000 Syrians have been airforce. Photo credit: CBS News acting “preventatively, to fight and destroy militants killed and a million injured. At least eleven million and terrorists on the territories that they already others have been forced from their homes, four mil- occupy, not wait for them to come to our house.” A lion have fled abroad, and we continue to hear their ê (below) Two Russian air force technicians prepare a poor argument given the applicability of that argu- horror stories as they embark on the journey of their warplane in a Syrian airbase outside Latakia. ment to many other war-torn countries, which have lives. It is a sad reality that these lives are not the Photo credit: The Guardian yet to see a Russian intervention. Not to mention the context of the relationship between Putin and Assad, which includes historical ties between the two countries, and Syria contain- ing the last Russian naval base in the Middle East. Russia has also blocked numerous resolutions crit- ical of Assad at the UN Security council, and sup- plied weapons to the Syrian military—this current Russian intervention only continues and further solidifies the relationship between the two as politi- cal allies. The Russian Defence Ministry originally said the first strikes targeted only the jihadist group IS, which controls large parts of Syria and is fighting both government and rebel forces. The next day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov clarified that the air campaign was targeting “all terrorists” in Syria, and not just IS.